When James joked 'nice kick,' it almost knocked some sense into Jess. Well, maybe not sense, but it reminded her of playing about with her soccer team, or during P.E. at school. She automatically clicked over into that mode. She was nothing if not a master of disguises, and suddenly she laughed out loud.
Years ago, when Jessame Rose first started Primary school, she used to sit and watch the older kids play games at lunch time, when she was supposed to be acting the student in one of Georgie's games of "school," or the baby when they were playing "house." When she heard there was a local junior soccer team, she begged Tim to take her to watch the games, and again, she watched. Her mess of dark hair shielded her face, but her large green eyes looked on with wonder, drinking everything in, memorising the banter, the moves, the jargon. She dragged Tim out of bed every Saturday morning until the season ended. The following year, she was late home from school one day and when her parents started calling around, they found out she'd been down at the soccer field at her first practice, having signed herself up for the team. When she was on the field, she was just like any of the others on the team - mostly boys, all rowdy, all having fun. When she got home and showered, she returned to her normal quiet self.
It was the same when she discovered t-ball and netball, Brownies and Guides: she watched, learned all there was to know, then slipped into fray and looked as though she'd been there all along. Then she'd get home, change out of her uniform, and become the real Jessame Rose again.
"'Course I have, I said I played rugby and touch, didn't I?" her voice had the same edge that all 11 year old boys had when they were challenged, something she'd picked up from those on her team, though she meant nothing by it. "I mostly play soccer though. That was just a bad kick." She watched him look up once he had retrieved her wayward ball and knew it would be a good kick the moment he began the motions. Jess followed the red ball into the air with her eyes and began running towards it as it came back to earth, knowing exactly where it would land, allowing for the slight wind. Turns out it was going to arrive back at ground level just on the other side of James. She saw him turn to catch it and her competitive side decided she was gonna get that ball. She nimbly side-stepped around him and jumped up to catch the ball just before it fell into his waiting arms. Once it was in her hands, she raced off, calling over her shoulder "Too slow!" When she'd run a good thirty metres from where she'd been before, she turned and booted the ball back to James. Her feet were bare, but tough, and although she could have done better had she been wearing shoes, she had to admit she was pleased with the kick.
"Not bad, aye? You reckon we could get some teams together and play?"
